EP0467534A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Telecommunication network
Assignee: Vodafone Ltd
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Filing: 1991-06-19
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-06-19
Abstract
Abstract In a cellular telephone system, subscribers each have a token (such as a smartcard) by means of which they may respectively identify themselves to the network. Each subscriber logs into the network by using his smartcard which inputs a unique secure identification number (IMSI) into the network. The relationship between each IMSI and the corresponding subscriber's telephone number (MSISDN) is random and known only to the network operator, this arrangement facilitating simple and secure issue of initial and replacement smartcards. A home location register (HLR) in the network stores each subscriber's MSISDN and the associated IMSI. The network also includes an analysis table linking each IMSI with the identity of the corresponding HLR storage location. This analysis table is split into parts which are held at different entities, such as different mobile services switching centres (MSC), in the network. In response to an input IMSI, the relevant MSC controlling the cell receiving that IMSI derives from the IMSI a Global Title which it uses to locate the relevant part of the analysis table. It can now access the correct storage location in the HLR, extract the MSISDN (and other subscriber data) and store this temporarily in its associated visitor location register.
Inventors
- 👤 Michael J. Mccombe
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 11:29
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04W; H04W8/00; H04W8/02; H04W8/04; H04W8/06; H04W8/08; H04W8/12
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
239 words
A telecommunication network by means of which a plurality of subscribers may communicate with each other, each subscriber having a token by means of which they may respectively identify themselves to the network, each token causing a unique secure identification number to be input into the network, comprising main storage means (10) having a plurality of storage locations each for storing a respective one of the secure identification numbers and a corresponding access number by which the subscriber which has the token associated with that identification number may be accessed via the network, characterised by further storage means split into parts each of which is located at a different position (e.g. MSC) in the network and each for storing a respective part only of an analysis table which links each identification number with the identity of the corresponding one of the storage locations of the main storage means (10), accessing means (MSC) responsive to each identification number input into the system for accessing the relevant part of the further storage means (e.g. MSC) and extracting from the part of the analysis table stored there the address of the corresponding one of the storage locations of the main storage means (10), and extracting means for extracting from that storage location the corresponding access number whereby to enable calls to and from that subscriber to be set up and permitting a random relationship between the identification numbers and the access numbers.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
239 words
A telecommunication network by means of which a plurality of subscribers may communicate with each other, each subscriber having a token by means of which they may respectively identify themselves to the network, each token causing a unique secure identification number to be input into the network, comprising main storage means (10) having a plurality of storage locations each for storing a respective one of the secure identification numbers and a corresponding access number by which the subscriber which has the token associated with that identification number may be accessed via the network, characterised by further storage means split into parts each of which is located at a different position (e.g. MSC) in the network and each for storing a respective part only of an analysis table which links each identification number with the identity of the corresponding one of the storage locations of the main storage means (10), accessing means (MSC) responsive to each identification number input into the system for accessing the relevant part of the further storage means (e.g. MSC) and extracting from the part of the analysis table stored there the address of the corresponding one of the storage locations of the main storage means (10), and extracting means for extracting from that storage location the corresponding access number whereby to enable calls to and from that subscriber to be set up and permitting a random relationship between the identification numbers and the access numbers.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
A network according to claim 1, characterised in that each token is a smartcard.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
43 words
A network according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that each said part of the further storage means (e.g. MSC) also stores information identifying the locations on the other parts of the further storage means and the respective identification numbers corresponding thereto.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
A network according to any preceding claim, characterised in that it is in the form of a cellular telephone network for mobile subscribers (MS) and in which the access numbers are the subscribers' telephone numbers.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
219 words
A network according to claims 3 and 4, characterised by a plurality of visitor location registers (8) each associated with some of the cells of the network, and in that the main storage means comprises a home location register (10) for at least part of the network, in that some at least of the said parts of the further storage means are respectively associated with different signalling nodes in the network, in that the accessing means comprises means associated with each such node for responding to a particular one of the identification numbers input into the network via one of the cells associated with a particular one of the visitor location registers (8) for determining whether the part of the analysis table relevant to that identification number is held in association with that node and, if it is not, for deriving from information stored at that node the location of the relevant part of the analysis table and obtaining therefrom the address of the corresponding storage location in the home location register (10), and in that the extracting means comprises means for accessing this storage location in the home location register (10) and transmitting information therefrom, including the subscriber's telephone number, to the visitor location register associated with the cell into which that subscriber has input the identification number.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
44 words
A network according to claim 5, characterised in that some of the said nodes are mobile service switching centres (6) each controlling some of the cells of the network and each having at least one of the visitor location registers (8) associated with it.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
201 words
A method of operating a cellular telephone network in which the subscribers respectively identify themselves to the network by means of smartcards which cause respective subscriber identification numbers to be input into the network via the relevant cells thereof, comprising the steps of setting up, in a home location register (10), storage locations for each telephone number each of which also stores the corresponding subscriber identification number and other subscriber data, and characterised in that the identification numbers have a random relationship with the subscribers' telephone numbers, and by the steps of setting up an analysis table correlating each identification number with the corresponding storage location in the home location register (10), storing respective parts of this analysis table at different locations in the network, responding to an identification number input at a particular cell by deriving an address from the identification number and using this address to locate the relevant part of the analysis table within the network, obtaining therefrom the storage location of the home location register (10) corresponding to the identification number, extracting the corresponding subscriber's telephone number from that storage location, and storing that telephone number in a visitor location register (8) associated with the originating cell.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
201 words
A method of operating a cellular telephone network in which the subscribers respectively identify themselves to the network by means of smartcards which cause respective subscriber identification numbers to be input into the network via the relevant cells thereof, comprising the steps of setting up, in a home location register (10), storage locations for each telephone number each of which also stores the corresponding subscriber identification number and other subscriber data, and characterised in that the identification numbers have a random relationship with the subscribers' telephone numbers, and by the steps of setting up an analysis table correlating each identification number with the corresponding storage location in the home location register (10), storing respective parts of this analysis table at different locations in the network, responding to an identification number input at a particular cell by deriving an address from the identification number and using this address to locate the relevant part of the analysis table within the network, obtaining therefrom the storage location of the home location register (10) corresponding to the identification number, extracting the corresponding subscriber's telephone number from that storage location, and storing that telephone number in a visitor location register (8) associated with the originating cell.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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